RNC DEBATE Wrap-up
RNC DEBATE Wrap-up
There was a debate last yesterday among contenders for chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. The purpose was to give an opportunity for leaders to express a vision for "rebuilding the party". Six candidates answered questions and exchanged views. The candidates were:
- Mike Duncan
- Chip Saltsman
- Saul Anuzis
- Mike Steele
- Katon Dawson
- Ken Blackwell
First Impression
The debate was more interesting than I expected and less interesting than it should have been. I was particularly disappointed by the fact that some uncompromisable conservative principles of the Republican party were never debated, especially:
- Advocacy for a strong national defense; not just military but also issues of domestic sovereignty, the defense of free trade, and elimination of our trade deficit in energy.
- Privatization of big government programs such as social security, education and health care.
Because the debate failed to address these crucial issues, none of the candidates were winners in terms of content and none presented a vision or combination of visions that the party can rally around. That is a huge disappointment.
The Winner and the Loser
Both Anuzis and Steele displayed character, confidence, intelligence and general likability... but only marginally more than the others. Contrary to my expectation going into the debate, I liked Anuzis the best. As I expected however, the clear loser was Mike Duncan, the incumbent.
It's interesting that others have come to similar conclusions. http://www.polldaddy.com/poll.aspx?p=1249484
